Radiology and orthopedics tied for the specialties that lead to the highest net worth, an April 24 Medscape report found.
Medscape’s 2026 “Physician Wealth and Debt Report” surveyed 5,916 physicians across more than 29 specialties between Sept. 5 and Dec. 17. The survey asked about physicians’ net worth, investment accounts, how well finances are managed and the types of debts they had. Net worth was calculated using financial investments and savings, home equity and personal property.
The survey found that practitioners who performed high volumes of medical procedures had higher net worth, compared to specialties that were more characterized by patients than procedures.
Here are the specialties ranked by the percentage of physicians with more than $5 million in net worth:
1. Radiology: 39%
1. Orthopedics and orthopedic surgery: 39%
3. Cardiology: 35%
4. Anesthesiology: 31%
5. Plastic surgery: 29%
6. Otolaryngology: 27%
7. OB-GYN: 25%
7. Urology: 25%
7. General surgery: 25%
10. Gastroenterology: 24%
11. Ophthalmology: 23%
12. Nephrology: 22%
13. Pathology: 21%
14. Public health and preventive medicine: 20%
15. Emergency medicine: 19%
16. Allergy and immunology: 18%
17. Pulmonary medicine: 16%
17. Infectious diseases: 16%
17. Internal medicine: 16%
20. Diabetes and endocrinology: 15%
21. Hematology and oncology: 14%
21. Neurology: 14%
23. Dermatology: 13%
24. Psychiatry: 12%
24. Critical care: 12%
26. Family medicine: 11%
27. Pediatrics: 10%
27. Physical medicine and rehabilitation: 10%
29. Rheumatology: 9%
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